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Guerrero brings praise for lower-level prospects

Guerrero brings praise for lower-level prospects

Brewers prospects Tyrone Taylor and Victor Roache talk about their season in the Minors while taking batting practice

By Adam McCalvy and Kevin Massoth
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MLB.com |

MILWAUKEE -- Minor League hitting coordinator Sandy Guerrero has joined the big league Brewers as an extra coach for September, and arrived bearing high praise for some offensive prospects in the lower levels of the team's Minor League system.

Guerrero had particular praise for a trio that played for a Class A Wisconsin club that finished its season Monday afternoon: outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Victor Roache, and shortstop Orlando Arcia.

"We have a lot of kids that did really well at the lower levels," Guerrero said. "These are young kids in their first year playing baseball on the road, and they did really well. A lot of guys did a lot better than we expected."

Of Arcia, who entered Monday batting .249 with 20 steals, Guerrero said: "He played the season mostly at 18 years old, and for 18, he did really good. He missed the whole of last year with a broken ankle, and for a young kid, he plays way above his age. His energy and everything. He improved a lot."

"Taylor, his overall game is so good," Guerrero said. "He runs, he plays defense and he can also hit. What he brings to the team and to the game, he's shown at his age that he does it all."

Other players who stood out included advanced Class A Brevard County's Mitch Haniger and first baseman Nick Ramirez. Haniger, who is headed to the Arizona Fall League, batted .264 with 11 home runs, 68 RBIs and a .348 on-base percentage between Wisconsin and Brevard County. Ramirez hit .258 with 19 homers -- matching Hunter Morris' team record -- and 81 RBIs in 134 games at Brevard.

"Haniger played at two levels and handled himself really well," Guerrero said. "We forget that this was Haniger's first [full] year, because he played only [14] games last year and got hurt. His overall numbers are really good. He has that ability -- it's instincts that you have to be born with -- that he gives you a professional at-bat every time. He's thought of the at-bat, thought of the pitcher. That's something you're born with.

"Nick, he had a tremendous improvement season. He cut his strikeouts in a tough pitching league, his average was higher, his walk total is higher, his homers are higher. We know he can play the field -- he's a great defensive guy -- and with the improvement that he's done with his bat, he's looking pretty good."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. Kevin Massoth is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.